Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-05
znruns, 1887

finding out things that passed ordinary pene-
tration. It was at the time when the fewest
number of white men were left in the county,
and the greatest degree Of dissatisfaction was
rife among the bewildered creatures who had
been thrown upon their own resources with q
frightful suddenness, that dark whispers of
diabolical plans for securing to themselves TIE
homes and possessions of the men who were
absent fighting TO retain them in slavery,
came to the regulators ears. One by one the
ringleaders of the plot disappeared with an
awfulness, and a suddenness, and complete
ness that filed the minds Of their followers
with superstitious terror. The most perfect
good feeling was soon restored between the
races, and the whispers died away When
somebody asked him confidenrially after the
war flor this episode still remains something
of secret how he managed about @them"
while he was prisoner, he told him Wales
helped him. Wales is as black as ebony.
The sheriff bought him, a runa way, from
harsh master, and made him his own body
servant. Wales alone knew Of the subter-
ranean prison under the court house, where
the three ringleaders against the peace Of the
country were incarcerated during one year
of the war It was to him the sheriff relin-
quished the key, and upon him devolved the
care Of them when the brigade carried Har-
vey of II knew / could trust Wales" he
always says, but he does not like much to
talk about it, Wales is his devoted slave to
this day, and he and old Harvey alone know
that the sleek looking porter in Davenport's
store is one of his incarcerated conspirators,
the jolly, well paid engineer on the Widow
Mason's gin house another and the janitor Of
<l,e., 10 off nf which the town
Justly proud third Old Harvey has been
mainly instrumental in securing them these
positions, and they all three cdore him.
Nc, old Harvey has nothing especial to be
proud Of. He is very poor now. He is too
old to hold Office, even if he could be elected
to it, and he has led the veriest grasshopper's
life SO far as looking out for number one
goes; but he does not seem to be much more
concerned about number one now than he did
in the days when he and Beelzebub regulated
the country, nor will he ever b. Grass
hoppers will be grasshoppers.
He is "Old Harvey" now to all the men and
boys of his locality, irrespective OF age,
color or previous condition" Some OF the
colored people who were young slaves
when he was sheriff Of the county be-
fore the war, and upon whose minds
the awe inspiring dignity OF that office
made such an indelibls impression that no one
who has once held it can ever again be quite
like other folks, still doR their hats deferen-
italy to "Boss Harvey" while the women of
the county invariably speak Of him as poor
old Mr. Harvey" but this last is prolix and
manifestly inconvenient for colloquial pur-
poses, so that when strangers, taking I'M
mediate note OF one of the most striking OBJ
jects in the town, make inquiry concerning
it, they are informed concisely that "thats
old Harvey" But as everybody likes him
the older people because they remember what
he was and what he has been in the neighbor-
hood, and the younger people because they
have been reared with q sort Of traditional
regard Tor old Harvey-the term comes from
the most careless lips Invested Of ell harsh
ness or contempt, with rather q caressing
sound. in point Of fact.-"Dixie" in New
York Evening Post.